What is Peer-to-Peer fundraising?

Peer-to-Peer fundraising is the practice of raising money by creating your own fundraiser online. By raising awareness of your chosen project through the social media, and engaging your social network, you can encourage your family, friends and network to support you by donating to your fundraiser.

Instead of you just giving a simple donation, a fundraiser will enable you to multiply that donation by engaging your whole network. Your friends and family might never make the donation without your recommendation and encouragement.

Peer-to-Peer fundraising allows you to help building the world you want to live in.

Fundraising Practices- tips & tricks

There are some practices that have proven to be more effective than others in the quest for a successful fundraiser. Here are some useful tips:

Upload good photos/ videos

Visuals awaken our senses and boost our engagement. Many people give donations because they are encouraged to do so by someone they trust. Adding your picture to the fundraiser will help creating trust around your fundraiser, and in this way lead to more donations.

Tell your story

Write a compelling personal story where you answer the questions that any donor would have. For example: What are you fundraising for? Why is it important to you? How will the funds be used? Take your chance to really emphasize your personal fundraising story; why you find the cause meaningful and why people should contribute. Raise awareness on the matter and have fun doing it!

Set a realistic goal

Being ambitious is admirable, but it’s better to start out with a smaller goal that you are confident to reach, and adjust it later if needed. A good way to set a goal is to think of all those in your network you believe would give a donation, and then imagine how much they might donate, then half that amount and you have a starting goal. Hopefully you will beat it in no time and you can use that success to reach your next goal. The average fundraised for any person is around 300 €.

Give the first donation

When you ask your network to support you by giving donations, it is important to set a good example and make the first donation yourself. If you are unsure of how much you should donate- think of how much you expect your friends and family to donate, and donate just a little bit more yourself.

Share your fundraiser via direct emails /messages

Encouraging friends and family to donate through personal messages have proven to be an important tool for a successful fundraiser result. Direct messages are personal, and the person in question will be more inclined to support you if you take the time to write a couple of lines to them personally.

The power of the crowd

Use multiple social networking websites, share your fundraiser with the world and spread the word, again and again. Make sure that you feature the link to your fundraiser in all your updates and messages, and encourage your network to share on your behalf.

Keep your supporters updated

Remember to thank your donors and keep them updated with relevant information. For example share your end result, or if you are participating in an event- give a brief update of how it went.

Fundraising ideas/ occasions

There are plenty of events that make perfect fundraising opportunities. Here are a few:

Activities: Running, cycling, climbing, or any other activity that constitutes a challenge for you. Let your personal network know why you are doing it and help motivating you by donating to you fundraiser.

Birthdays, Weddings or other Celebrations: A perfect occasion to let friends and family know that instead of material gifts, you would like them to support your fundraiser and thus help you to make a difference.

Volunteering: If you work as a volunteer, you already have a story to tell. Share your experiences and show everyone everyday life as a volunteer. We are sure that it will warm your friends hearts and inspire them to make a contribution to your cause as well.

Memorials: Has someone close to you been taken away from you too early because of illness? Here is your chance to commemorate that person, by creating a fundraiser in memory of them.

The simple act of kindness: Then again, who needs a real reason to do good? The best thing with peer-to-peer fundraising is that there is no need for a specific reason to do it; it is enough being passionate about a cause and having the will to make a difference in the world.

Holidays: Holiday season is always a good season to show kindness and support other people in the world. Instead of Christmas presents, you can wish for your close friends and family to support your fundraiser.